Friday , March 29 2024

What You Need to Know About the Umbro GeoFLARE!

Umbro GeoFLARE

In recent time, Umbro has made a mini comeback on the US market, with several different silos released in limited numbers. On of those boots is the GeoFLARE, a boot composed of hard hitting materials and plenty of attitude. It is the visually prominent camouflage design that really makes them stand out, something we first saw introduced during the World Cup this past summer. They are labelled as a control boot, but we have our own take on these having tested them – they definitely perform like another style of boot.

There is talk about these holding some control properties, like a textured forefoot and some instep padding. But that is not exactly the case, primarily because the Camo series of releases seems to be different to the original series. There is some light texture through the forefoot of these but it is not what you would call “control” worthy. It offers a very light sandpaper feel, positioned in vertical strips, but not really enough to impact how the ball interacts with the material.

Find the GeoFLARE at soccer.com.

GeoFLARE Upper Profile

GeoFLARE Up Close

GeoFLARE Side View

Also, for the most part, the material used in control boots is relatively soft, thin and supple to ensure clean touch and control on the ball. Instead, the GeoFLARE has a much more rigid construction that makes them an ideal option for players in the market for something that is solid. In other words, they make a perfect “power” boot on both sides of the field.

For attacking players, you can really get a firm strike behind the ball with having to soak in the full impact. They upper is a microfiber that has a soft feel but it is still relatively thick compared to the market. It almost has the feel of what you would imagine several layers of rubber placed on top of each other would feel like. And with that, I can safely say that they pack a punch.

Umbro GeoFLARE Camoflauge

Camo GeoFLARE

There are also plenty of positives for defensive players, including the fact that these are ideal for getting stuck in on tackles. The entire construction is perfectly proportioned for keeping your foot securely in place and total comfort. I’m a fan of the material used around the heel region. Umbro don’t skimp on the amount of padding included, and when you add a lightly gripped microfiber material, it just feels right. Weight wise, they are perfectly positioned at 9.5oz.

Word of warning when it comes to size, these seem to fit a little tight in terms of length. Width wise they are best served for medium fits. Going up a half size should reduce sizing issues on both fronts, so my advice is to consider going up. It has a lot to do with the toe design and how there is an added lip that comes from the soleplate up around the front of the upper material. This improves durability, but ends up restricting the amount of room inside the boot.

GeoFLARE Soleplate

GeoFLARE Soleplate Up Close

Final note on performance lies with the soleplate and blade configuration. It is odd to say the least and proves sticky on turf surfaces. The multi-direction style proves very useful on grass and other natural surfaces, especially when things are slightly wet. In other words, for those that play on grass pitches post rain.

We first saw this boot worn by Chile international, Maurico Pinilla during the World Cup, since then they have made some appearances in fresh new Camo colorways but we still await the aha moment. The textured visual pattern on this version is actually a nod to Umbro’s classic Italia 90 designs, which you might not be able to spot on first glance! The colorway is official listed as a pretty complex Green Gecko Camo/Blackerry Cordial/Safety Yellow.

This exact version of the GeoFlare is not currently available, but you can find other pairs listed on soccer.com.

About Bryan Byrne

The mastermind behind the revolution that is SoccerCleats101. Bryan started this website back in 2008 and has been testing boots on a daily basis ever since. Check out our About Page for more details on Bryan and the website.

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One comment

  1. So Cool!

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